Jonah 3:1-10
“…He rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.” v6
Today marks the beginning of an important event in the Calendar of the Universal Church of Christ, it is Ash Wednesday. It is the first day of the penitential season of lent, the ceremony of placing ashes on the forehead as a sign of penitence. These ashes obtained from burning of palm front from previous Palm Sunday celebration.
Ash (residue) is solid residue of combustion. And combustion is a process of rapid oxidation or burning of a substance with simultaneous evolution of heat and, usually light. Please note the process that brings the ash, evolution of heat & Light; our Christian call is to give out heat (energy) & light to others, while we ourselves reduce to ‘ash’.
Dear as the Church marks Ash Wednesday 2012, it is not about inscribing of crucifix on our foreheads that matters (though cool with people that take it); it is the issue of dying unto Sin, so that our lights will so shine before men and bring Glory to God the father. There is also something worthy of note, it is the recitation of the Priest as he places the blessed ashes on the foreheads of the congregation: “Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return”
From the bible verse (Jonah 3:1-10) we saw the King of Nineveh realizing this, when him and his subject where convicted of their wickedness. They fasted from the heart to the outside; God heard them and changed His mind from destroying them. A lesson for us as we begin Lent! Fast from the heart to the outside!
Nigerians especially Christians Our deeds should leave the level of being good to become righteous, then issues like corruption, nepotism, tribalism and unpatriotic acts will be history.
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